Sunday, January 30, 2011

What's Next, Carding Doctors?

It was en international doctors' meeting and had been a long morning of running between sessions. The brief break before the late-morning sessions was underway and doctors were streaming into the exhibit hall. The Merck booth was spacious and had a pleasant gentleman wearing a conventional hall uniform with white gloves behind a counter with two ornate large coffee pots and small cups behind the counter. The line of conference-goers stretched some distance, as the bleary-eyed and shoulder-bag-laden attendees waited for their cup of "joe."

And there it was, a sign, prominently displayed at the corner of the counter:

While I never saw the poor guy behind the counter card a doctor who approached his counter, I wondered how this law for physicians from the great states of California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, or Vermont was to be enforced exactly.

4 comments:

Sure, the law is silly. However, don't underestimate an amiable salesperson, a comfy chair, and a lovely cuppa tea. I remember going to a very nice luncheon given by a drug company for a bunch of health care providers. Afterwards, we listened to a pitch on their brands vs generics. My sister-in-law (a PA in a GYN/OB practice) had invited me. On our way home, we had our own interesting discussion. She felt brand names were always preferable to a generic. Now I'm not saying she was easily persuaded by a filet and I'm probably a sanctimonius prig, but that lunch had a bit of a bitter aftertaste.

About Me

Westby G. Fisher, MD, FACC is a board certified internist, cardiologist, and cardiac electrophysiologist (doctor specializing in heart rhythm disorders) practicing at NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, IL, USA and is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine. He entered the blog-o-sphere in November, 2005.
DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this blog are strictly the those of the author(s) and should not be construed as the opinion(s) or policy(ies) of NorthShore University HealthSystem, nor recommendations for your care or anyone else's. Please seek professional guidance instead.